A little less smoke...

tubulus · June 2017

This question might sound fairly dumb, but I'm trying to figure out if there's a way to get slightly less intense smoke flavor on the food I grill on my egg. Obviously I love the smokey flavor when I do a low and slow shoulder, ribs, etc, but when I'm just grilling some veggies or chicken, I find the flavor can be a little overwhelming, especially if I'm trying to do something different flavor-wise (like a tandoori chicken). I am just using royal oak charcoal. I wonder if maybe some of the wood chips I've used in the past have just imparted a lot of flavor into the walls of the smoker? Is there another cleaner charcoal to try? I don't remember getting such intense flavor when I was just using a weber kettle.

slovelad · June 2017

The cleaning charcoal in the land is Rockwood. I usually ruder mine from firecraft.com and get 5 bags with free shipping. About $100 bucks but it lasts me forever.

also, make sure to wait for all the black smoke to clear before you cook. Give it a little longer than usual and it will decrease smokiness.

lastly, I would clean out your egg completely. Use a shop vac if you have one. I don't use wood ships for many reasons and this is one. If you use chunks, they can be easily removed later on if they don't burn all the way down

lousubcap · June 2017

Another endorsement for Rockwood-and the firecraft deal is a good one. If you can manage the storage go with 6 bags/shipment as they ship in a heavy duty box designed for three bags. FWIW-

hoosier_egger · June 2017

Like mentioned above, @stlcharcoal rules the roost when it comes to clean flavor from lump. Once you go Rockwood you don't go back

pab · June 2017

I doubt it is the wood chips you used in the past. It is much more likely you are putting your food on before the VOCs have burned off your charcoal. Royal Oak can take some time to burn clean. Removing any pieces of charcoal that are under-carbonized (looks like wood) before lighting will help. Wait for the heavy smoke to clear and stick your hand above the top vent and smell. If you don't like the smell on your hand you will not like it on your food. I also use Rockwood. In my experience the Royal Oak I used tends to have a higher percentage of under-carbonized wood and takes longer to burn clean. YMMV

td66snrf · June 2017

You may not be burning off the VOCs. That will give it nasty flavor. Make sure the smoke coming out the top is no longer white before you cook.

SmokeyPitt · June 2017

One more piece of advice is to try using less lump in the firebox for quick, direct cooks. If you can get all (or most) of the lump burning it will burn much cleaner. If you start with a full firebox you can't get it all burning unless you want to hit 800+ degrees. Start with 1/2 firebox and you can get a nice clean burning fire. This will also help burn up any wood chips that may be left behind.

Theophan · June 2017

I agree about the brand of charcoal. I've used mostly BGE charcoal all these years, which I'm told is the same as Royal Oak, and I've loved it, but it's smoky. If I use ONLY that charcoal and NO wood chips at all, and just cook a simple spatchcock chicken with just salt and pepper, some olive oil, I LOVE it, and it tastes a little smoky. But all of the guys raving about Rockwood here got me to try it, and I hate to admit it, I do like it better. There's much less "bad white smoke" at the beginning after lighting the fire, and that alone is worth switching, to me. But it's also less smoky tasting.

Most things I cook I like pretty smoky, but if you're looking for a less smoky taste, definitely try Rockwood charcoal, and see what you think.

vthokie98 · June 2017

Agree with the rest. Rockwood is where it's at.

GrillSgt · June 2017

Is there an echo in here? I was amazed at the lack of smokiness from Rockwood on my first cook. I use a gasser if I'm doing a lot of vegetables and use my kettle for a few burgers.

tjv · June 2017

if you are getting to much smoke, you can also look at your technique. if you cook the entire meal on the grill, proteins and veggies, then it's hard for it not to taste somewhat the same - no matter what lump you use.

just like we do with bbq, you can use foil or containers to control smoke flavor. Or grill outside and move the food inside to finish. No where in the grill bible does it say, if the cook starts outside, it needs to finish outside.

Another thing to play with is the amount of air moving through the grill. a hotter fire can be a cleaner burn but only to a degree when done in a reasonably closed vessel. Also look at new lump vs. old lump. And go back to the weber days, leave the dome open. Ya gotta play some to figure what works best for you.

t

SmyrnaGA · June 2017

When I use my non-rockwood charcoal, I don't like to waste the heat while the VOC is burning off. I usually grill some corn for about 30 minutes at the start of the cook.

Before I start the egg, I would prep the corn by removing the silk, but, keep the husks on, then soak it in water. (at least 30 minutes) Once the ash is cleaned out, fire box reloaded and comes to 400, I put the corn on. Every 10 minute, turn the corn about 120 degrees.

This does 2 things. 1) Burn off the VOC. 2) tells me where the hot spots are.

Jcl5150 · June 2017

Rockwood lump, let the white smoke clear.

V1cK · June 2017

I recently bought Rockwood lump after having the same problems. I used the BGE brand and my daughter and my wife would sometimes mention the smoky flavor in the chicken I was cooking. I know they didn't like it much.

I tried Rockwood and it has been a huge difference. I can now cook chicken and veggies with confidence even for friends coming over with no fear of them saying it's "too smoky". Believe me, try it.

Killit_and_Grillit · June 2017

@slovelad you vacuum yours out? I usually just wait until my jerk neighbor is out mowing his lawn and stick my blower in the bottom vent and let 'er rip.

Double points if if he is washing his car.

YukonRon · June 2017

Rockwood.
That is all.
You are welcome.

slovelad · June 2017

Killit_and_Grillit said:

@slovelad you vacuum yours out? I usually just wait until my jerk neighbor is out mowing his lawn and stick my blower in the bottom vent and let 'er rip.

Double points if if he is washing his car.

@Killit_and_Grillit haha well I vacuum it out about once a year, otherwise, the leaf blower method is my go to lol

DoubleEgger · June 2017

slovelad said:

lastly, I would clean out your egg completely. Use a shop vac if you have one.

Ash is the best insulator. You need a layer of ash to protect the base. You are running a greater risk of a cracked base by vacuuming it out all the time. Ash also will absorb some of the moisture as well.

bhedges1987 · June 2017

It is NOT the royal oak. That's pretty decent stuff. Let the coal burn a little longer before you put your food on.

Side note: this may be the first post I've ever seen of someone complaining about too much smoke in an egg lol.

bhedges1987 · June 2017

SmokeyPitt said:

One more piece of advice is to try using less lump in the firebox for quick, direct cooks. If you can get all (or most) of the lump burning it will burn much cleaner. If you start with a full firebox you can't get it all burning unless you want to hit 800+ degrees. Start with 1/2 firebox and you can get a nice clean burning fire. This will also help burn up any wood chips that may be left behind.

Best advice right here ^^^^

Stick with royal oak at half the price of rock wood and follow this man.

A little less smoke...

Welcome!

Comments

Welcome!

Welcome!

Quick Links

Categories